It is a difficult topic. Getting a mentally ill person the right care - never mind determining what the right care is - can be difficult at best, and nearly impossible at other times. It is not an easy topic, ever. I have had personal experience dealing with this issue, thankfully not with an immediate family member.

And whose responsibility is it, when a child is mentally ill? What should be done with that child, in a case like the author's son? And how about an adult - someone over the age of 18? What then?

I saw a comment on the thread sarcastically asking why it is always mentioned that the killer was "very intelligent" - sadly, that may be the case, and why some of them are so dangerous, as their won intelligence, used in the wrong direction, can cause a bigger tragedy than otherwise might happen. We rarely hear when these attacks are foiled, for example. No one ever publishes an article about a family whose child decided to perpetrate something like this, but stopped him or her. Or the desperate individuals that commit suicide, just don't decide to take a bunch of people with themselves. That doesn't make the news, but tragedy does.

Once the person is age 18, s/he is not considered a 'child' for this purpose. There is little if anything a parent or family member can do. You have to be able to prove the person is a danger to himself or others. It is extremely frustrating! Leaving the routine of school, trying to make their own way in the world, this is often part of what tips the balance for the person, for keeping slim hold on the illness; and then, onlookers are helpless to get action.

Being in Canada I hesitate sometimes to post my opinion in the original post.

However, since support for mental health care in Canada is no picnic either I agree with Ms. Long that re-opening and staffing mental health centres would be a good starting point. I would hope that some of the funding could be diverted from the corrections department as prison overcrowding is due to the number of people with mental illnesses taking up the space.

I don't in which state it exists, but there is the Baker act which enables someone to be involuntarily committed for a psychiatric assessment.

And we as individuals need to keep our ears and eyes open for 'signs', whatever they may be.

A note of hope...

WASHINGTON - Democrats say meaningful action in the wake of last week's elementary school shooting must include a ban on military-style assault weapons and a look at how the U.S. deals with individuals suffering from serious mental illness.

Yup - but it's a limited thing, a "72-hour psych hold" - and once that is over, what does one do? Especially with someone intelligent enough to "fool" the system, or just sign themselves out. You cannot make someone get help if they do not want it.

I wonder if the law could be changed so that a person would be held until they agreed to\had the assessment? I can see the personal rights issue being brought in here, but any future casualties have rights too.

This is a sticky subject. My maternal grandmother was sent to a home for feeble-minded women when she was 11. Her mother had died and her father split the kids up among various relatives. She was sent there because she knew how her mother had died and threatened to tell. Her mother died from a hat-pin abortion in 1911. No tests were done; no criteria were met. She was required to stay her whole life, but obviously managed to escape. It wasn't that hard. She was so trusted that she took care of others, esp children and had weekend passes.

I do think that those diagnosed with certain mental illnesses should be required to take their medicines. This isn't a violation of personal freedom. Either take the medicine or go to jail. The problem we face is which illnesses do we pick? We already do not allow those with seizures to drive. Diabetics are not forbidden to drive but have difficulty getting jobs a professional drivers. And rightly so. I very seldom have lows and none are severe, but others have a lot of difficulty.

As far as guns go. You have to qualify for a driver's license. Why not other dangerous equipment?

This is a sticky subject. My maternal grandmother was sent to a home for feeble-minded women when she was 11. Her mother had died and her father split the kids up among various relatives. She was sent there because she knew how her mother had died and threatened to tell. Her mother died from a hat-pin abortion in 1911. No tests were done; no criteria were met. She was required to stay her whole life, but obviously managed to escape. It wasn't that hard. She was so trusted that she took care of others, esp children and had weekend passes.

I do think that those diagnosed with certain mental illnesses should be required to take their medicines. This isn't a violation of personal freedom. Either take the medicine or go to jail. The problem we face is which illnesses do we pick? We already do not allow those with seizures to drive. Diabetics are not forbidden to drive but have difficulty getting jobs a professional drivers. And rightly so. I very seldom have lows and none are severe, but others have a lot of difficulty.

As far as guns go. You have to qualify for a driver's license. Why not other dangerous equipment?

Whether or not you have to have a license to own a gun varies state to state, I believe. I have a gun license somewhere - not a pistol permit, but a lower level one. I do not own a gun, but want to be covered, just in case I ever did, particularly with some of the more historic guns in the family. I have not fired a gun in several years, but still know how.

How to recognize signs of mental illness in your family: Newtown tragedy gives us pause

Much of the conversation that has sprung up over a long, difficult weekend appears to categorize all mental illness as though it's some uniform entity. It's an extremely dangerous opinion to hold.
"We can't lump all people with mental illness together into one big 'crazy' pot, it stigmatizes the ill and disconnects us, as a society, from their humanity," writes Jezebel's Laura Beck.
She's right. For starters, we don't even know what Lanza may or may not have been suffering from, or many of the details that ultimately led to his actions on Friday morning.
What we do know is that mental illness is an incredibly complex, varied and vital issue and a more informed, sensitive approach is necessary in order to help those suffering feel safe enough to get the assistance they need.
"We need to support them and we need to care for them, not leave them alone," Dr. David Samadi tells Fox News.
This motivation is part of a flurry of articles that have sprung up this weekend about how to recognize the signs of mental illness in a family member and what to about it.

French psychiatrist sentenced after patient commits murder

MARSEILLES, France (Reuters) - A French psychiatrist whose patient hacked an elderly man to death was found guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday in a groundbreaking case that could affect the way patients are treated. A court in Marseilles said Daniele Canarelli, 58, had committed a "grave error" by failing to recognize the public danger posed by Joel Gaillard, her patient of four years.

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Almost kills me to confess this, because it is painful. But there is a very long history of mental illnes in my family. Suicide as well. Let's keep it real, wierd things happen in this life, this world, and on this planet. Karen is quite right, there are very many different kinds of mental illness, brain dissorders and disabilities. Lots to cover and none less important than the other. I feel terrible about the sensless death and violence that occurred. That being said, I would like to send my entire familys heartfelt sympathy out to everyone whose heart hurts right now. Giant hugs and peace and lov

There are as many different flavors of mental illness as physical. No one would prescribe the same treatment for heart disease as for cancer! But, unfortunately, unlike heart disease or cancer, there are few objective diagnostic tools available to diagnose diseases of the mind. Imaging techniques provide promise, but are a baby step. If as much money were invested in mental illness as in cancer, maybe we could finally get somewhere.

There are as many different flavors of mental illness as physical. No one would prescribe the same treatment for heart disease as for cancer! But, unfortunately, unlike heart disease or cancer, there are few objective diagnostic tools available to diagnose diseases of the mind. Imaging techniques provide promise, but are a baby step. If as much money were invested in mental illness as in cancer, maybe we could finally get somewhere.